ellaslist Reviews The Museum of Fire

Family Kids

By Lenore Pearson, ellaslist explorer

Perfect for the budding firefighter, the Museum of Fire allows your child to heroically play out their fire fighting dream in a safe and informative environment. Adults too can immerse themselves in the compelling world of fire and fire fighting and perhaps even learn a thing or two! Located 1 hour west of Sydney’s CBD, The Museum of Fire is a fitting tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who risk their lives to protect the wider community. Housed in the heritage-listed Penrith Power Station building, the entrance is on Museum Drive and can’t be missed as it is easily identified by a stoically displayed 1942 Dennis Fire Engine mounted atop a 4-metre pole.

Charity Run Community Museum

The Museum of Fire is a not-for-profit, charity-run museum. Many staff members are Firefighters, either serving or retired, and all profits raised go towards further educating families on the dangers of fire and preventative measures. The museum houses one of the world’s largest and most unique fire collections comprised of fire fighting equipment, vehicles, uniforms and communication systems, and featuring a world class collection of vintage fire engines – hand drawn, horse drawn and motorised dating back to the late 18th century.

Flaming Marvellous Family Day

A day trip out to Penrith is not complete without a visit to this iconic museum. During the holidays I had the pleasure of treating my family to a great day out in Penrith with a trip to the Museum of Fire as a top priority. Suitable for kids of all ages, it is very easily accessible with a pram. There is no café on site, however, there are picnic tables available for a BYO lunch in the sun. We thoroughly enjoyed taking our time exploring the museum. Here is a list of the five features that were really ‘smoking’!

Our Five Fab Fire Museum Features:

1. Junior Fire Fighters Play Area – A dedicated area of the museum just for the kids. My two-year-old daughter Audrey loved sitting and colouring in pictures of animals dressed as fire fighters and the older boys were engrossed in interactive computer games and fire safety activities. The younger kids will enjoy ‘Fireman Sam’ playing on the TV.

2. Fire Engine Simulator/Dress Ups – The kids enjoyed dressing up and climbing aboard a child sized fire engine as a computer screen took them through what it would be like to be behind the wheel of a real fire engine.

3. Educating the Kids on the Dangers of Fire – Toby and Lucas watched with intrigue as a simulation of a house fire played out. They particularly enjoyed pointing out all the possible ignition sources for the fire and how it could have been prevented.

4. Fire Engine Ride – Book in for a Fire Engine Ride for just $3 per person and be escorted around the grounds on a genuine 1960’s fire engine.

5. Impressive Engine Display – a spectacular collection of fire engines dating back to the 18th century, everything from hand drawn, horse drawn and motorised engines with detailed historical notes on their origins and uses.

Hello! My name is Lenore, proud mumma to three gorgeous kids, amazingly awesome wife to one cool dude and self-professed travel addict! I started out my career as a primary school teacher for five years, which, second to having my own kids, was extremely rewarding for me.

While I was pregnant with baby number 3, and slowly going insane pacing (waddling) up and down the house, I felt I needed to keep my mind active and decided to take up a Diploma in Travel and Tourism, because I clearly wasn’t going to have my hands full enough with three kids!

I am all about exploring. For me, living a full life is about collecting amazing experiences from as many incredible places as possible. Travel and adventures fuel my imagination and I love sharing them in the hopes of inspiring the explorer in each of us! Along with my family, I have been fortunate enough to have discovered lots of places already.

I am super excited to be an ellaslist Explorer, aiming to provide very real and practical information for families looking to create their own adventures and experiences. I am forever researching new and exciting things to do with the kids and I look forward to sharing them with you.

I have also just launched my own travel blog ‘Little Miss Piggy’ a treasure trove of travel inspiration and unique experiences in and around Sydney and abroad.